Allen Milligan

Application of cellular-scale molecular and biochemical studies of microalgae, bacteria and corals to environmental questions about ecosystem function and global change.

• Mechanistic-level knowledge of the oceanic ecosystem gives oceanographers the ability to predict and hind-cast responses to natural and anthropogenic disturbance. My research focuses algal physiology, macronutrient and trace metal metabolism and the light and dark reactions of photosynthesis. This work is directed towards understanding the physiological mechanisms by which the cycling of elements are influenced by environmental variables. My overall research goal is to apply cellular-scale molecular and biochemical studies of phytoplankton to oceanographic questions about production and function of the oceanic ecosystem in the past, present and future. I am particularly interested in the use of satellite-based remote sensing and stable isotopes as means of applying cellular-scale studies to large spatial and temporal scales. I also utilize field-based experiments and observations to determine whether laboratory-based observations and conclusions can be applied to natural systems. My goal is to relate biochemical and molecular work on phytoplankton to large temporal and spatial scales through the use of remote sensing and stable isotopes.